Spring click for timepieces



E. H. HORN.

SPRING CLICK FOR TIMEPIECES.

APPLICATION FILE D SEPT. 29, 192i.

Patented May 16, 1922.

llllllllllllllllllllllllllll'" HIIIIIII-IIIIIIIIHII UNITED S A S PATENT, FFICE a a ow; r warmest? ss rier A sume T9 A Y QQ CO., OF WATER/BURY, CONNECTICUT,

, SPRING EELICK non rr vrnrrnonsl To all whom it may concefin: 1

Be it known that I, 'ERNEST H. HORN, a citizen of the United States,residing at lVaterbu-ry, in the county ofNew Haven and State oi Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in SpringClicks for Timepieces; and I do hereby declare following, when taken in connectionnvith the accompanying drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this application, and represent, in-

Fig. 1., a view in side elevation of the rear movement-plate of a watch provided with my improved spring-click.

Fig. 2, a view thereof in transverse section on the line2-2 of Fig.1. r l

Fig. 3, a detached view in rear elevation oi the rear movement-plate and its bridge as stripped. M I Fig; 4, a perspective view on anenlarged scale of the spring-click.

Fig; 5, a broken sectionalview on the line 5--5 or Fig. 1.

ig 6, asimilarwview on the line: 6-6 ofFigl. it a My invention 'relates to an improvement in sprlng-cllcks for tlIIlB-PIGCGS of the class in which a single pieceof reslhent metal is adapted in form and installation toffunction as a click and as a spring therefor, the object of my present invention being to produce a simple and convenient click of the character described, constructed with particular reference to avoiding the stripping of the teeth of the spring-barrel, in case the main-spring breaks, andto permitting sufficient recoil of the main spring after full Winding, and to prevent the coils of the spring from sticking together when Wound to the limit. 1

Vith these ends in view, my invention consists in a spring-click having certain details of construction as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention, as herein shown, I employ a combined click and click spring made of a single piece of tempered steel bent at one side of its longitudina center so as to form a spring-arm 7 and a clickarm 8 standing at an obtuse angle with respect to each other. The arm 7 is provided, upon its inner edge, with a bearing-shoulder 9, from which a positioning-lug 10 ofi'sets,

S pecificationofLetter sfatent. t nt M 1 22.

Application filed September 29, 1921. Serial no. 504,069f i b while thearin 8 is formerhupon its end,- with a banking-lug 11, the effectof which is to broaden the end 12 of the said arm to the full} width-oi"- the teeth 13 of the springin the rear movement-plate 17, as shown in Figures 1 and 6. The shoulder 9 of the arm 7 then rests upon the inner face of the move ment-plate, while the positioning-lugl0, ofisetting from the said shoulder, extends sufiiciently into ahole 20 formed in the plate for the reception of the rivet, to prevent the endwisemovement'of the arm 7 therein, but I do not limit myself to any particularmanner of mounting the combined, one -piece clickand click-spring uponthe movementplate'. i

'For supporting my improved combined part and springing itin the direction in which it-acts as a sa'fety for the springbarrel and spring, as will be describedQI employ a stud 21 riveted in the plate 17 and formed with a head 22, the said stud being a trifle longer than the width of the stock used in making the combined part. This stud is positioned inthe plate so as to virtually set within the bend of the combined part, as shown in Figure 1, so that the combined part is sprung by the stud 21', acting as a fulcrum,

permits the combined part to yield from the 7 end 12 to the rivet 19 and, therefore, nearly throughout its length, as stated. On the other hand, the moment winding pressure is removed from the main-spring 15, the barrel 14 turns in the clockwise direction and one of its teeth engages with the end 12 of the click-arm 8, so as to impose pressure thereupon, whereby the said combined part is pulled downward, as it were, until the said part rests at its point 23 (Figure l) directly upon the stud 21. The said pressure being continued, the combined part is now sprung nearly throughout its length over the said stud, which acts as a fulcrum for it, and thus provides a yielding check for the clockwise movement of the spring-barrel 14. This yieldin check continues in force until the bankingug 11 is brought into engagement with the lower edge of the banking notch 16, when the counter-clockwise move ment of the barrel is brought to a positive stop. I thus provide for a limited clockwise turning of the springbarrel after the spring has been fully wound, preventing the sticking of the coils of the spring together, as sometimes occurs when the spring is fully wound and when there is no provision made to permit it to slightly uncoil and so annul the tendency of its coils to adhere together. Furthermore, the stripping of the teeth of the barrel, in case the main-spring breaks, is prevented by the cushioning action of the combined part, due to the springing of the same over the stud 21 in the manner de scribed.

I claim:

1. As a new article oi manufacture, a com bined, one-piece click and click-spring tor time-pieces, bent between its ends to form a' click-arm and spring-arm which stand at an angle with respect to each other; in combi nation with means for rigidly mounting the said part by the outer end of its spring arm.

2. In a spring-click 'l'or time-pieces, the combination with a oI1e- ;)iece, combined part bent between its ends to term a click-arm and a springarm which stand at an angle with respect to each other, of a supporting rivet located in the bend ot' the said part, whereby the same is sprung between its ends when moved in one direction and left free to sprin bodily in the opposite direction.

3. n a time-piece, the combination with a movement-plate thereof, of a spring-barrel, a main-spring housed therein, a combined. one-piece click and click-spring bent between its ends to form a click-arm and a. spring-arm, means mounted in the said plate for supporting the said. part by its spring-arm, and a supporting-rivet mounted in the said plate within the bend of the said part, whereby the said. part is sprung be tween its ends in the unwinding effort of the barrel.

4. In a time-piece, the combination with a movement-plate having a bankingnotch, 01" a spring-barrel, a main-spring therein, a combined, one-piece click and click-spring bent between its ends and provided at its click end with a banking-lug entering the said banking-notch, means for mounting the said part in the said plate by its spring end, and a supporting rivet located within the bend of the part, whereby the springing of the said part between its ends by the said stud yieldingly checks the unwinding effort of the barrel, and whereby the banking-l 11g of the said part coacts with the said notch and positively stops the said movement ()ili the barrel.

5. In a time-piece, the combination with a spring-barrel, of a one-piece, combined click and click-spring bent between its ends to form a click-arm and a spring-arm, which stand at an angle with respect to each other, a banking-lug located upon the said click arm, an abutment positioned to be engaged by the said lug after the said part has been sprung between its ends, and a :t'ltilcruin engaged by the said part which it springs between its ends before the said lug and abutment coact to stop the unwinding effort of the said barrel.

(3. In a. time-piece, the combination with a movement-plate having a banking-notch. of a spring-barrel, a spring therein, a onepiece, combined click and click-spring bent between its ends and provided at its clickend with a banking-lug coacting with the said notch, means for mounting the spring by its spring-end, and a supporting-rivet provided with an overhanging head for preventing the lateral displacement of the said part and positioned .in the said plate to set in the bend of the said part, which it springs between its ends to yieldingly check the reverse rotation of the said barrel, prior to the positive stopping thereof by the ('o-action oi the banking-lug and notch.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib ing witnesses.

ERNEST H. HORN.

Vitnesses:

J. R. PUTNAM, G. O. ALLEN. 

